The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-15
GOLD FOUND-IN HIS GRAVE.
One of the Rare Instances in Which
Money was Buried with It's Possessor.

One of the Rare Instances in Which
Money was Buried with It's PoSSesSor.
Atlanta Special to the NeU York World.
The accidental opening of soldiers grave
yesterday disclosed what is rarely ever hid
den in the tomb-money. The grave was
on the side of hill, near the East Tennes-
see railroad shops, and was about four or
five feet deep. The soldier was probably
hastily buried there during the war.
Workmen have been engaged in
making an excavation at this place for
several days and more than once have
discovered bones that greatly resembled
those of a human body. They dug a hole IL
feet deep and feet square, and into it
lowered a small can filled with gunpowder,
to which a fuse was attached, for The pur-
pose of loosening the earth. Over the can
they firmly packed some clay, and the fuse
was then lighted. In a few seconds there
was muffled explosion, and for several
yards around the earth was broken up as if
it had been thoroughly plowed.
In one spot, within few feet of the hole,
a solid piece of earth had been lifted up and
turned over, leaving an excavation eight
feet square and five feet deep One of the
worKmen peered into the cavity, and.
hastily returning to his companions, ex-
claimed: ''That's a grave and there's a
skeleton in it" The men looked into the
tomb and saw human skeleton with all
the bones in their proper, place, but at
touch they fell apart. A closer inspection
was made and several brass buttons, with
the letters 'U. S." on them, and the visor
to cap, were found in the grave. There
was no sign of burial garments or of de-
cayed wood to show that the dead soldier
had been buried in a coffin.
81 believe this is money" exclaimed one
of the workmen as he brushed the earth
stains from something round in his hand.
He held 800 gold piece.
II have found one just like it, excitedly
exclaimed another laborer, and he set to
work to make his gold shine.
''Here's small piece-$5," exclaimed a
third workman.
The search became general, and one more
$50 gold pieces, two tens and another five,
making in all 800, were found in the sol
dier's grave
One of the laborers who had not been for
tunate enough to pick up one of the coins,
said: "You wouldn't catch me taking
money home what came out of grave.
just tell you that skeleton will haunt you
fellows what's got that gold, sure as you're
born"
This caused some uneasiness among the
holders of the money, but they didn't give
it up. The body was that of Union sol
der, as the letters on the brass buttons
clearly indicated. and he was probably
among the killed in one of the battles fought
around Atlanta. Like many others who
met similar fate, he was buried without a
winding sheet or shroud and with little cere-
mony. He was probably buried in the
clothes in which he was shot down, and his
money was left in his pockets and covered
up in the grave. After more than twenty
years no trace of the garments could be
found, but the gold was still there, and OF
all the contents of the tomb it was the only
thing that remained for which men care or
find use to-day.